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Sunday, September 23, 2018

I recently had the wonderful honor and great pleasure of a grand tour of Zoo Atlanta! My friend Peggy is a member, donor and a volunteer at the Zoo. For our tour, she donned her interpreter gear and we were off on a 5.5 hour adventure...We toured the entire Zoo—what an amazing learning experience—and Peggy interpreted for other zoo visitors when I was making photos. It was awesome seeing how much joy it brings her to enhance a visitor's experience with information they might not otherwise be privy to.

Zoo Atlanta is home to many, many avian species and some fascinating ones at that! When we happened upon the Scarlet Ibis, I was awestruck by its beauty. I couldn't stop watching (and taking photos). It's no wonder that this striking bird has been the subject of a number of literary works!

Bald Eagle | Zoo Atlanta | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

Typically a zoo would not have a resident Bald Eagle, but in the case of wing damage—as is the case here—a zoo provides food and protection from predators, as well as being an educational opportunity that most would never enjoy otherwise. Even with a damaged wing, THIS Bald Eagle is gloriously majestic!

Iguana | Zoo Atlanta | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

This was my first time exploring the new Scaly Slimy Spectacular: The Amphibian & Reptile Experience and it's AWESOME! Home to more than 70 species, plan plenty of time to meet some of Zoo Atlanta's most fascinating residents, including a Komodo Dragon, a mesmerizing chameleon, and some baby diamondback terrapin turtles! If you're a beer aficionado, you may know that the diamondback terrapin is part of the logo of Terrapin Beer Co. in Athens, Georgia.The digital, interactive animal identification signage is a first for Zoo Atlanta. This signage also shows whether or not the animal is endangered or not, including the "extinct except in human care" category.

Alpaca | Zoo Atlanta | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

Some of the newest residents at Zoo Atlanta are the Huacaya Alpaca, this one's name is Smurf, I believe, and they're sooooo cute! Originally from Peru, they now live all over the world in human care. This domesticated species is so popular right now. They've been showing up at weddings all over the country! #DidYouKnow: Alpaca and Llamas are often mistaken for one or the other, but they are totally different species!

King Vulture | Zoo Atlanta | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

This avian is so brightly colored that you might not immediately recognize that it's a King Vulture. It took me a minute because I was so fascinated by all the colors.I think vultures unduly get a bad rap. They have a vital role in our ecosystem. Yes, their eating habits are disgusting to us, but by eating carrion, they're cleaning up what could otherwise be a breeding ground for disease. Next time you see a vulture, you might replace "eewwwww" with a "thank you".

African Elephant | Zoo Atlanta | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

There are two African Elephants—the largest of elephant species—at Zoo Atlanta. There will be more when the new African savanna habitat is completed.The elephants are one of the many "Wild Encounters" that visitors can experience. During a Wild Encounter: Elephant experience, you get to give Tara or Kelly an afternoon snack, up close and personal! I've not done this yet, but it's on my list.

Golden Lion Tamarin | Zoo Atlanta | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

One of the things I love about Zoo Atlanta is its extensive conservation work, the endangered Golden Lion Tamarin being among the many projects they're currently working on.Zoo Atlanta's Mission: We save wildlife and their habitats through conservation, research, education and engaging experiences. Our efforts connect people to animals and inspire conservation action.From everything I seen, Zoo Atlanta is continuously demonstrating their mission, one that this blogger is excited about and proud of. Education and conservation would be enough, but a Zoo Atlanta experience is so much more!

Nubian Goat | Zoo Atlanta | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

I was looking forward to the Petting Zoo, getting to hang out with the goats! Zoo Atlanta is home of several kinds of goats, the one pictured above being a Nubian Goat, the kind that I lived with the summer after high school graduation. I lived with my art teacher and his wife, Duane and Pip, on their goat ranch. There were about 40 goats, each with a unique personality and each wanting all of your attention. We were up at 5:30am every day to milk the goats. During my time there, we made a few batches of goat cheese and ice cold goat's milk is delicious!

Chilean Flamingo | Zoo Atlanta | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

The Chilean Flamingos are the greeting committee at Zoo Atlanta...they're the residents of the first habitat visitors see. On this particular morning, they were in the midst of a grooming session, wanting to look their best for the day's visitors, no doubt.#DidYouKnow: Flamingos get their pink color from the beta carotene in their diet? There's a food dispenser to the left of the habitat, so you too can feed them!I am so thankful to my friend Peggy for the wonderful grand tour of Zoo Atlanta. Before I left that day—after our 5.5 hours of exploration (including lunch), I purchased a membership and look forward to exploring Zoo Atlanta on many of the 363 days per year that it's open! I invite locals to check out the various levels of membership and I invite everyone to explore the many ways in which you too can support our amazing Zoo Atlanta.Enjoy some additional photos from the day on wanderlust ATLANTA's Facebook page.

Sunday, September 9, 2018

"When evil screams throughout the world, when all three suns converge, when all that's fair and fine seems lost... a hero will emerge!"It's easy to understand why Jim Henson's 1982 movie The Dark Crystal has become a cult classic all over the world. Its edge-of-your-seat suspense and mesmerizing story is captivating from the very beginning.Now, fans all around Atlanta and those visiting Atlanta can see a new special exhibition, Jim Henson’s The Dark Crystal: World of Myth and Magic, and you don't even have to know what a Skeksis is to enjoy it!

Haven't seen the movie? Imagine..."Another planet, another time. 1,000 years ago the mysterious Dark Crystal was damaged by one of the Urskeks and an age of chaos has began! The evil race of grotesque birdlike lizards the Skeksis, gnomish dragons who rule their fantastic planet with an iron claw. Meanwhile the orphan Jen, raised in solitude by a race of the peace-loving wizards called the Mystics, embarks on a quest to find the missing shard of the Dark Crystal which gives the Skesis their power and restore the balance of the universe." - Anthony Pereyra

The Jim Henson’s The Dark Crystal: World of Myth and Magic exhibit showcases original Brian Froud artwork, animatronic prototypes, costumes and props. Everything in the exhibit is fascinating, hands down. As a former wanna-be-artist of drawing (mostly pencil), I was personally blown away by Brian Froud's artwork. I encourage your to take ample time to explore these magical works of art and ponder the imagination that created the drawings.

The exhibition, in the Dean DuBose Smith Special Exhibits Gallery—a separate space from The Jim Henson Collection and The Global Collection museums—displays more than 50 artifacts, including several prototypes and early versions of the film's iconic characters, as well as the actual puppets used in the Saturn Award-winning film, some of them worn and operated by humans, so those are HUGE puppets!

I love a themed outing and I've got one for you that you can do with the kids, friends or on a date! You can do these all in one day or over a period of days.1. The film takes place on another planet, bring your group or date to a planetarium! There's the Bentley Planetarium at Tellus Science Museum; the Fernbank Science Center Planetarium at the Fernbank Science Center (not the museum on Clifton); or the Georgia Tech Observatory at Georgia Tech's School of Physics.2. Watch or re-watch the movie with your group or date! It's only 93 minutes and they'll go quickly.3. Go see Jim Henson’s The Dark Crystal: World of Myth and Magicat the Center for Puppetry Arts! You don't have to watch the movie first to enjoy the exhibition, but I re-watched it and it totally enhanced my exhibit experience. My friend Barry has not seen the movie before and still thoroughly enjoyed the exhibit.Have fun!

You and your friends will get to explore how Jim Henson, Brian Froud, Frank Oz and others created The Dark Crystal’s mythical world of Thra, as well as take a look at the film’s impact and legacy over the years...you get to see up close and personal the behind-the-scenes work that made this classic cult film so legendary!

Your ticket to see Jim Henson’s The Dark Crystal: World of Myth and Magic includes access to The Jim Henson Collection, which has some other amazing artifacts from The Dark Crystal. Take yourself and your imagination to the Center for Puppetry Arts and enjoy this fascinating, magical exhibition.Thank you to the Center of Puppetry Arts for the tickets to the exhibition, through Brave PR. All opinions are my own and are in no way influenced by having been hosted.